Bihar flood situation gets grim

Heavy rains have flooded over 500 villages in north Bihar and affected nearly two million people as all major rivers are in spate, officials said on Tuesday.

The worst hit districts include Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Saharsa, Madhubani, Darbhanga, East and West Champaran. Road and rail traffic has also been disrupted at several places.

Officials of the Flood Control Cell blamed the increase in water level of Nepal's rivers for the flooding of rivers in north Bihar.

However, Water Resources Department Minister Ramashray Prasad Singh said that the embankments on various rivers in the state were safe.

A local media report quoting official sources said the swollen Rato river made a 100 feet long breach in an embankment at Srikhandi under Sursand block in Sitamarhi district on Monday night, inundating more than 200 villages.

According to the Central Water Commission, the water levels of the Bagmati, Kosi, Gandak, Adhwara, Ganga and Punpun rivers are nearing the danger level mark indicating tough days ahead.